Strada Group

Lets resume our conversation...

Q- If automotive blogs are participative automotive entertainment, is there real knowledge being disseminated?

A- That is a good question...yes mainstream information is being disseminated by the blogs on an ongoing basis, accompanied by a level of mainstream participation.

Q- Is it possible that most people get entertained, but do not get empowered?

A- It must be a trait of human nature to default to the lowest common denominator. Its easy to be empowered by doing a bit of due diligence.

Q- There are so many automotive blogs that one can quickly become skeptical.

A- Skeptical....yes...get lost in the cacophony of blogs...yes, and I could keep on going, and going. The automotive blogosphere is a busy place.

Q- Reminiscing on the early years of the Internet, and all the dramatic changes that would enable and empower the customer/consumer. Where do we stand?

A- There is a vast quantity of information, and numerous tools that a customer/consumer can use to be informed and empowered. I don't think that they are being used to the degree that its available. I don't think people have the time, or the desire to truly inform and empower themselves. I would speculate that its the same with all the blogs that are out there. They become their own form of "bloggertainement".

Q- Bloggertainement...is this a new term?

A- Could be...the average individual is flooded with all sorts of automotive information, they are not empowering themselves with this information and technology. Who is really listening? Will it really make a difference? Or is it "bloggertainment"?

Q- Are you saying that if automotive blogs are a form of participative automotive entertainment, you could call it "automotive bloogertainement", its disseminates information, incites comments, it creates a social network of entertainement, with different affinity groups.

A- I could not have said it better myself.

Q- Colonel are you part of the automotive bloggertainment?

A- Could be that I am...I try to empower more than entertain, or I think I do. Perhaps the average individual wants to be more entertained than empowered. Does it make sense?

Q- Colonel...you might be on to something?

A- Perhaps...

Lets continue our conversation with The Colonel...

Q- What are these other blogs?

A- There's a vast number of automotive blogs with different agendas, perspectives, personalities, opinions.

Q- What is a common thread among these blogs?

A- Usually they have less resources, constantly seeking ways to monetise, constantly seeking ways to increase the readership, more focused, more opinionated, always looking for ways to stand out and be noticed from the crowd.

Q- Does it work?

A- I'm sure that in certain cases it works, in others it probably does not work.

Q- These blogs have differing editorial directions and interests?

A- Yes...they are primarily focused on specific segments /perspectives of the automotive industry, with specific opinions. Yes...everyone has an opinion and many of these blogs establish a platform for folks to express their opinions by commenting.

Q- How sophisticated is the knowledge base of these blogs.

A- Call it a "mainstream knowledge base" that appeals to the majority.

Q- What do you mean by a mainstream knowledge base?

A- These blogs are media, they are automotive entertainment, ideally they need to appeal to a wide spectrum of potential readers. To do so the information and knowledge that the blogs disseminate is mainstream. With many blogs disseminating the same information.

Q- This concept of automotive entertainment intrigues us, could you elaborate?

A- Lets go a step further, call it "participative automotive entertainment" where the viewer/reader can be entertained and also participate...its interactive! If you want folks to participate it has to be mainstream, even if the editorial direction is unique and exclusive, the content is mainstream.

Q- Surely the are blogs that are more focused, specialised, opinionated?

A- Yes there are...they become niche blogs, with a limited appeal, and a limited number of viewers / participants.

Q- These niche blogs are less mainstream, with a more specialised knowledge base.

A- Exactly...these niche blogs are often more entertaining.

Q- Does anyone pay attention to all these blogs? There's a ton of them in the blogosphere.

A- Manufacturers pay attention to the mainstream blogs that disseminate information.

We will continue...

We discussed that starting and setting up a blog is easy, compelling content is demanding. We are focusing on automotive blogs, lets continue...

Q- If the content is the challenge how difficult are automotive blogs?

A- Very easy!

Q- We are confused...very easy?

A- There is constant activity in the automotive industry, a show here, a press release there, a new model, a spy photo somewhere else, a video. Manufacturers are keenly aware of blogs and have deployed several tactics to use blogs to their advantage. Yes its easy to report "the automotive news" through a blog.

Q- There are several blogs that do exactly that on an ongoing basis.

A- Yes...with a variety of names, and a variety of end results. The ones with robust resources have compelling content that attracts additional viewers.   

Q- Are the "buff print publications" impacted by all these blogs?

A- Absolutely...it keeps the traditional publications on their toes to remain relevant, which is excellent for the readers and the blogosphere...it makes for cool content...especially the videos.

Q- Its a medium that encircles the planet.

A- Yes it quickly covers the planet, although human nature tends to stick to the familiar, and known. It certainly accelerates the flow of automotive information, and the flow of automotive entertainment.

Q- Automotive Entertainment?

A- Absolutely...the blogs with resources have informative and creative content that is entertaining, especially the videos.

Q- The blogs that primarily disseminate information are a form of automotive entertainment?

A- The really good ones absolutely...you guys have a few links to some of those blogs.

Q- Are there other blogs besides the information disseminators in the automotive blogosphere?

A- Yes...there are blogs that cater to various niches of the automotive business and enthusiast.

We will continue...

Last week we had a few conversions on blogs and the automotive blogosphere. Since we started our blog we have been paying attention to blogs in general and to automotive blogs in particular for some time. There is no way that we can possibly read all the automotive blogs that are published on a daily basis...no way at all.

The Colonel is our "blogger" we thought it was worthwhile to get his opinion on the automotive blogosphere.

Q- Colonel thank you for taking the time to answers our questions. What is the blogosphere?

A- Its the medium where all the blogs are interconnected to ideally make a vast repository of information and opinions. In a perfect world its a nice friendly place.

Q- The automotive blogosphere is this medium applied to automotive?

A- Exactly, its a place where there is a free exchange of opinions, and knowledge.

Q- Who can do a blog, and participate in the blogosphere?

A- Anybody, and everybody it easy and inexpensive to set up the technical platform for a blog...you can become a blogger in a few minutes.

Q- Its that easy? Anybody and everybody can do it?

A- Yes...

Q- It seems too easy all of a sudden.

A- The content is less easy!

Q- We knew we were missing something...content.

A- The platform is a breeze, anybody can do it, generating compelling content is a different story.

Q- Content?

A- Yes...intelligent content is a challenge. Look at all the blogs that are started since its easy and fall on the side after a brief period of time.

We will continue...